150 people die in a stampede at a Hindu temple in Rajasthan

New Delhi, 30 September 2008. - At least 150 people were killed and one hundred and fifty were injured in a stampede registered at the entrances to the temple of the city of Jodhpur in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, an official source.
Interior Minister of the Government of Rajasthan, GC Kataria, quoted by IANS India, said the death toll could still rise due to the extreme seriousness of some injuries.
Thousands of people had gathered at dawn to the temple of Chamunda located in the imposing Mehrangarh Fort, which dominates a hill to pay homage to the goddess and celebrate the start of the Hindu religious festival Navratri.
"The access ramp to the temple is narrow. It all happened in a flash: a person fell and dragged others. Most people have died of suffocation, "he told Efe by telephone from Rajasthan Home Secretary SN Thanvi.
The Chamunda temple is accessible by a steep two miles long and only a few meters wide, which also had been divided by the authorities in a way for men and one for women and children to order the procession.
Almost all victims are male because falls occurred in the male area, when the devotees began to break down barriers and push each other to reach the temple before the rest, according to witnesses quoted by IANS.
"There were at least 10,000 people when the event occurred on at 05.30 am (0.00 GMT). Suddenly I saw people running and falling over each other. There was complete chaos, "a witness recounted.
Kataria, described the events of "massive tragedy" and blamed the panic that fell prey to the devotees after the first fall.
"We had taken steps to prevent this from happening. We had women and men separately. But the agitation of the pilgrims made ​​were falling one after another, "he told reporters leader, who acknowledged that the protective barriers gave way, according to Indian media.
The head of regional government, Vasundhara Raje, visited shortly after the fort, where he announced the opening of an investigation and an aid of 200,000 rupees ($ 4,200) for families of the deceased.
Between 15 and 20 people died on the spot, india news agency PTI, while others died in hospitals and Mahatma Gandhi, Mathura Das and Sun City, Jodhpur.
Police said among those killed many young people.
"I have seen between 150 and 200 bodies," a witness told the television channel NDTV New Delhi.
After the stampede, television pictures showed how, and by day, the pilgrims themselves collected the wounded and transported at full speed down the steep streets of the fortress in the midst of great confusion.
From Paris, where he is on official visit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh offered his condolences to the families of the victims and expressed his "horror and grief" for the event, reflecting a recurrent phenomenon in India.
The message of Singh joined Indian President Pratibha Patil and Vice President of the country, Hamid Ansari.
The mass concentrations of worshipers during religious festivals Indians often carry with it the risk of stampedes, the lack of security measures and poor control of the authorities in temples of poor infrastructure.
On August 3, 162 pilgrims were crushed to death in another stampede like this recorded in the famous temple of Naina Devi, located in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
This time, the stampede occurred in another popular temple, Chamunda, which has a long tradition in Jodhpur for the goddess to whom it owes its name was the mistress of King Rao Jodha.
Jodha brought the idol to Jodhpur in 1460 and ordered installed in the Mehrangarh Fort, one of the most important tourist centers of Rajasthan, crowning a hill overlooking the old city.
Mehrangarh had come today to the faithful to celebrate the start of Navratri Hindu festival that marks the start turn of the season of religious celebrations in the Hindu tradition.
"Many people had faith in the goddess Chamunda and so came to the temple daily. But today was a day appointed, the Sthapna Diwas, the more conducive to prayer, "he told Efe Thanvi.

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